On Monday, September 25th, 2006 California Governor Schwarzenegger signed two bills that prohibit the state’s pension funds from investing in companies with active business in Sudan, hoping to help convince other states to do the same. Ultimately, it is to pressure the Arab-dominated government of Sudan, which is blamed for the deaths of at least 200,000 non-Arabs since 2003 and the displacement of more than 2.5 million people in the nation’s western Darfur region.

At the bill signing, the Governor was joined by other governmental leaders and advisors alongside Documented Liberal Democrat Actor-vists, Don Cheadle and George Clooney were also on hand for the signing. When asked if he wasn’t worried that he might not be giving California’s Right—Of-Center Governor a perfect photo-op, Clooney first quipped that he’d done that years ago when the two co-starred in the franchise downside, “Batman and Robin”. Refusing to allow politics the shade the humanitarian efforts being championed on the day, Clooney added, “I couldn’t be more proud of this bipartisan effort, and thank Gov. Schwarzenegger for his leadership at this most crucial time,” said George Clooney. “It’s a great step forward in holding people responsible for their actions, and a great blueprint for other states. Two and a half million refugees just got a little safer because of this, and we have much more work ahead of us.”

Don Cheadle added that he wanted to make clear that although he and Clooney had personally phoned Arnold weeks ago upon hearing that the Bills were in danger of veto, the pressure they’d hoped to exert proved unnecessary. The Governor has apparently been a supporter and believer in this bill since it’s conception. In the 1980s, the state approved similar measures to allow state entities to divest in South Africa in order to protest its apartheid policies.

For further info on the day, the bills and the situation you can start here